Jalandhar, September 7
Dubbing the clamping of ban on headgear of Sikhs in France by the French Government as a grave and unjustified attack on the religious freedom of Sikhs, the Shiromani Akali Dal today urged the
UPA-led Central Government to take up the case of Sikhs with the French government.

The SAD President, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, addresses senior party leaders and workers before the meeting of the Political Affairs Committee in Jalandhar on Tuesday. — A Tribune photograph

SGPC member accused of molestation
Amritsar, September 7
The wife of a blind assistant raagi of a local gurdwara lodged a complaint of molestation against an SGPC member, Mr Baldev Singh, at Chhehrta police station here today.

SYL not an answer to farmers’ woes: Jakhar
Abohar, September 7
Mr Sunil Jakhar, Parliamentary Secretary (Irrigation and Horticulture), Punjab, today defended the Termination of Water Agreements Act and said mere construction of the SYL canal would not solve the problems of the farmers of northern region.

Chandigarh, September 7
Preparations are on for the annual "shaheedi mela" in his native village in Amritsar district in memory of the "Hero of
Nathula", Major Harbhajan Singh who laid down his life fighting the Chinese at Nathula on September 11, 1967.
The mela has been held every year without a break for the past 35 years, largely
because of the efforts of his elder brother Brig Arbail Singh, PVSM (retd).
Following Brig Singh's death in a road accident last year, the responsibility
for organising the mela has now been taken over by his niece, Ritu Sandhu, who
is working as a Transmission Executive in the Chandigarh station of All India
Radio.

Bhattal denies fissures in state Congress
Ropar, September 7
The Punjab Deputy Chief Minister, Ms Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, today sought to set aside the suggestions of fissures in the state Congress and said she had no knowledge of any move to change leadership.

Markfed refuses to disinvest sugar mill
Chandigarh, September 7
Markfed’s Board of Directors has turned down a proposal to disinvest a sugar mill at Malout. The resolution was taken during a meeting. The decision is significant as the mill — set up at a total cost of Rs 300 million — provides employment to over 300 persons. It was established when the Akali government was in power in the state.

Protesters demand case against doctor
Sangrur, September 7
Pankaj Kumar Sharma (30), a migrant labourer from Begusarai district in Bihar, died in the operation theatre of the Civil Hospital here yesterday due to the negligence of the doctor, according to the allegation levelled by relatives. The postmortem was conducted by a board of three doctors at the hospital today.

NGO offers free surgery for cleft lip
Amritsar, September 7
The US based smile train promoted by former US President George Bush, Mr Bill Gates, Hollywood stars Candice Bergen, Paul Newman and others has tied up with a local Amandeep Hospital for providing free treatment for cleft lip and palate congenital deformities.

Protest against ‘negligence’ in NRI boy’s treatment
Moga, September 7
Certain persons today stormed into a local nursing home in protest against the alleged negligence by its staff in operating a 14-year-old boy who had come from England. The situation became tense following an altercation between the two parties.

IMA backs Bathinda doctor
Sangrur, September 7
The local unit of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) today condemned the act of the medical representative of a pharmaceutical company for allegedly implicating Dr Ramesh Maheshwary, Medical Officer, Civil Hospital, Bathinda, in an alleged “false” and “fabricated” corruption case a few days ago.

PSHRC asks Principal Secy to hold probe
Phagwara, September 7
The Punjab State Human Rights Commission had taken cognisance of a complaint filed by the Punjab unit of the IMA against the state government for its failure to keep a check on quacks. These medical practitioners have not got themselves registered with the Punjab unit of the Medical Council or the Medical Council of India.

Ministry asks residents to stop construction near Mamun depot
Pathankot, September 7
Resentment prevails among those residing in prohibited zones adjoining the Ammunition Sub Depot, Mamun, and the Air Force Station, as the Ministry of Defence has chalked out a comprehensive plan to deal with those occupying the land.

Police inaction triggers arhtiyas’ protest
Bathinda, September 7
The commission agents of this district will observe a complete bandh on September 10 by holding no auction of foodgrains in the markets of the district to lodge their protest against the failure of Talwandi Sabo police to arrest the accused farmers against whom two criminal cases were registered in June and July.

Yoga can cure all diseases, says Ramdev
Bathinda, September 7
Celebrated yoga teacher, Swami Ramdev, today. While talking to media persons on the eve of his week-long ‘Yoga Chikitsa Camp’ said here today, that while the followers of western medicine (allopathy) system had named the Indian system of medicine as ‘alternative’, the same was not true.

PSEB staff to gherao DC’s office tomorrow
Moga, September 7
Various bodies of the Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB) employees would gherao the Deputy Commissioner’s office on September 9. This was announced at a press conference here today.

Soldier cremated with honours
Patiala, September 7
Body of Sepoy Lakhwinder Singh (26) of the Guwahati-based 236 IWT Engineering Regiment was consigned to the flames with full military honours at his native village Kheri
Gujran, near here, today afternoon.

Wailing relatives of Sepoy Lakhwinder Singh at his
cremation at Kheri Gujran village on Monday. — Photo by Rajesh Sachar

Truckers’ union accuses office-bearers of usurping freight charges
Faridkot, September 7
A few office-bearers of the Truck Union, Faridkot, have been accused of usurping lakhs of rupees of truck operators which they received as freight charges from the government. This has also led to resignation of a member the seven-member committee of the union.

Route permits over Beas bridge sought
Gurdaspur, September 7
The anti-reservation front has demanded the government should issue route permits for plying buses through the newly constructed bridge over Beas near Mukerian.

Awareness camp on organic farming held
Patiala, September 7
The Progressive Youth Forum, Ghagga organised an awareness camp on organic farming in three villages including Chupki, Kakrala Bhaika and Deogarh here today.

Farmers seek bonus
Gurdaspur, September 7
The Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) has demanded a bonus of Rs 100 per quintal on paddy and Rs 150 per quintal on sugarcane during the current procurement season. In a delegate meet of the BKU held here today a resolution was adopted seeking a bonus on the minimum support price (MSP) announced by the government.

Kala killers elude arrest
Jalandhar, September 7
The police has not been able to arrest those accused in the Kala murder case. The incident involving the kidnapping and subsequent killing of Kala Ram allegedly by his rivals on Monday night has showcased undercurrents of a virtual gang war, going on in Bhargo Camp and other localities of the city.

Man, sister waylaid, robbed
Phagwara, September 7
Kulwinder Singh and his sister, Kanwaljit Kaur, were waylaid and robbed of valuables and cash worth over Rs 1 lakh by two armed scooterists between Bhanoki and Jagatpur Jattan villages yesterday.

Woman killed for money
Amritsar, September 7
Lakhwinder Kaur, a resident of Bagga village, under Majitha police district was allegedly killed by her in-laws for not bringing money demanded by them here today.

Car, 11 tolas of gold stolen
Sangrur, September 7
A Maruti Zen car, 11 tolas of gold ornaments and a mobile phone were reportedly stolen from the house of Mr Suresh Kumar, an employee of the BDPO’s office, in Khalifa Bagh Mohalla here last night. The thieves committed the theft when the members of the family were in sleep.

JE caught taking bribe
Bathinda, September 7
Mr Malkit Singh, junior engineer (JE), Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB), was caught by a team of Vigilance Bureau, Mansa, while he was accepting bribe from Mr Amrik Singh, a resident of Jhanduke village, today for removing the electrical poles from the vacant plot of the complainant.

3500 seats vacant in polytechnic colleges
Bathinda, September 7
Most of the government polytechnics in the state are facing a bleak future as a large number of seats in the three year diploma courses in different trades are lying vacant despite the fact that the admission process ended a few weeks ago.

Suspension of lecturer revoked
Batala, September 7
A meeting of the B.U.C. College unit of the Punjab and Chandigarh College Teachers Union (PCCTU) was held here today to discuss the suspension of a lecturer, Mr Rajiv McMullen.

PCCTU strike today
Barnala, September 7
College teachers working in about 175 private colleges of Punjab will go on a two-period strike on September 8 by organising protest rallies and dharnas on the college campuses.

Pbi varsity served notice
Patiala, September 7
A local court yesterday served a notice on Punjabi University in a writ petition filed by Nagma Virk, a former topper of the university, who has alleged that she was “unfairly” left out by the institution while selecting three candidates for the post of technical assistants recently.